Say hello to ESSA and goodbye to No Child Left Behind

This is something that is close to us all; and most people, whether in the field of education or not, have a pretty vocal opinion. Please read on to find out what will be filling the No Child Left Behind policy gap. Click the provided links to research this in detail. I particularly like the link that gives you the full report to download. For the shortened Fact Sheet, there is a link provided for that also. In addition, you will find a link to the USA Today news article, “The Every Student Succeeds Act vs No Child Left Behind: What’s changed?” This link to the Education Weekly article, ESEA Reauthorization is the best one I’ve read yet. I guess we’ll need to wait and see how it all pans out. Thoughts? Chime in and leave me a comment below.

In the news: The Senate and the House of Representatives passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). President Obama made it official by signing the new K-12 education bill into law.

Some advocates are excited because: The criterion for accountability has been broadened to include student engagement, educator engagement, and school climate and safety as indicators of success; states will be required to collect data on school quality (e.g., bullying/harassment, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, etc.); and funding for “safe and healthy” initiatives will soon follow.